Isak Levi with friends in the Rodhope Mountains

Isak Levi with friends in the Rodhope Mountains

This is a photo from an excursion to the Rhodope Mountain. First we visited a resort place near Velingrad and later we climbed the highest peak in the Rhodopes - Goliam Perelik peak. The picture was taken in the 1980s near Velingrad. I am to the left, Nissim Benbasat [journalist], Yako Molhov [film critic and writer] and Liko Seliktar are next to me. Liko used to work for a long time in the Jewish Home’s library. He was also a contributor to ‘Evreiski vesti’ [Jewish News] newspaper. Ivan is to the right. He was an electrician, who joined us as his wife was an acquaintance of Nissim Benbasat and Liko Seliktar's wives. As far as the attitude of Bulgarians to Jews is concerned, I can say nothing but the best. Because when there was anti-Semitism worldwide, when there were murders everywhere, there weren’t such things in Bulgaria. Bulgarians and Jews have been living for more than 400 years in an atmosphere of mutual understanding. There were two great events in the 20th century. The first one is that 100 million people were killed, this was the most war-loving century. And at the same time there was a small nation, which saved 50,000 Jews. It’s a small thing, yet it’s a great thing. You feel free as long as you have good friends. Even though they were fewer, there were Bulgarians, with whom we got on very well. Every year in the course of ten years we went on excursions – from 1981 to 1990, even during the new regime.
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